Digital Video Interface or DVI cables function as an interface between the video output of a device such as a computer? or DVD player and a flat screen television. DVI cables can also serve to convert a digital video signal to an understandable format for an analog device. There are three types of DVI cables; DVI-Digital, DVI-Integrated and DVI-Analog.
DVI-Digital
DVI-Digital cables, also known as DVI-D cables, carry a digital signal from the output device into a device capable of displaying a digital signal. DVI signals can produce a single link display of up to 1920-by-1200 resolution or a dual link display resolution of up to 2560-by-1600. You can recognize a DVI-D cable because it does not have the four pins necessary to carry an analog signal. The single link cable has an alignment of pins which consists of two sets of nine pins to the side of a single flat blade. A DVI-D dual link cable can be easily identified because of its three rows of eight pins to the side of a single flat blade.
DVI-Integrated
DVI-Integrated, or DVI-I cables, are capable of transmitting either analog or digital signals. However, a DVI-I cable should not be used to connect a device which produces a digital signal to an analog device or vice versa. Much like a DVI-D cable, a DVI-I cable can also produce either a single link display or dual link display. You can recognize a DVI-I single link cable by its alignment of two sets of nine pins to the side of a single flat blade surrounded by the four analog signal pins. A DVI-I dual link cable can be easily identified because of its three rows of eight pins to the side of a single flat blade in the middle of the four analog signal pins.
DVI-Analog
DVI-Analog, or DVI-A cables, convert a signal from a digital output device to an analog display such as a cathode ray tube monitor or a low-cost liquid crystal display. There is obviously a loss of quality with this downgrade, but the cable is useful if you do not have a digital display device. The DVI-A cable can be recognized because it has one set of eight pins and one set of four pins to the left of a single flat blade surrounded by four pins.